Most women do not give a lot of thought to protecting their fertility. In fact, it is usually the furthest thing from their minds when they are younger. It is not until they are older and are thinking about starting a family that fertility even enters their minds. But even if the thought of protecting your fertility seems a bit strange, it is something that every woman should probably think about.

Here are some ways to protect your fertility for the time when you do want to start a family:

•Stop smoking. Women who smoke are at least 30% less fertile than their non-smoking counterparts. Smoking can even cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which is one of the major causes of infertility.

•Avoid having unprotected sex, which can increase your chances of getting an STD, or sexually transmitted disease. Studies show that STDs can cause infertility, as well. If you do have unprotected sex, get tested regularly for STDs so that you know immediately if you have one so that you can seek treatment.

•Maintain your ideal weight. Being overweight might not seem like such a serious issue, but being overweight can lower your fertility and also make it more likely to have problems during your pregnancy.

Exercise. There have been several studies that have linked exercise and increased fertility. It only makes sense that if your body is in good shape, your chances of getting pregnant will be higher. Exercise is something you should be doing anyway, so get moving and protect your fertility.

•Develop good nutritional habits. Eating right will help you when it comes to trying to conceive. It will also help you after you conceive because a healthy diet is important to a healthy pregnancy.

For more ways to protect your fertility, be sure to get my e-book on how to get pregnant .

Author's Bio: 

Christena Williams is am other of 3 and the author of the Getting Pregnant Bible, a guide on how to get pregnant, at

http://www.GettingPregnantBible.com